Sahlins

Charles Brown CharlesB at CNCL.ci.detroit.mi.us
Mon Mar 8 09:26:11 PST 1999



>>> Maureen Therese Anderson <manders at midway.uchicago.edu>
My anthro-reference was mostly to the Durkheim/Mauss emphasis on "classification" as necessary condition of social existence, in contrast to the "Geist" tradition. In other words, the way the D/M tradition saw the marking of relations, of identities in opposition to each other, as what was basic to societies rather than the idea that culturally defined communities have intrinsic awareness of their own identity.

But given that the "classification" school distinguishes between "totemism" (symmetrical relations between structurally similar groups) and "ethnicity" (asymmetrical incorporation of structurally dissimilar groups into a single polity), Hegelian-inspired subject/object stuff probably fits in conversantly with the latter. (((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((

Yes, I think you are about to teach me something here. Isn't the D/M concept of "classification" in Marxism in Marxism's emphasis on antagonistic classes when we discuss capitalist societies ? Shouldn't postmods and poststructuralists trace their ancestory to Marx , instead of D/M ? Why does it seem like postmods distinguish themselves from Marxism so much ?

Charles Brown



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